On May 14th, 1980, Angie Motzko secured her 8-minute-seniority over her brother, Eric. But they would experience all major landmarks together, falling in-sync on a level exclusive to twins. Despite their parents’ best efforts to deliberately separate them in school and extracurricular activities, Angie and Eric were capable of channeling the best and the worst in each other. They thrived off of shared experiences – learning to ride a bike around their cul-de-sac (modified as a scooter with peddle block, for Eric’s shorter legs), getting their driver’s licenses and sharing in the hype of getting ready for high school dances. Their senior year, Eric was crowned homecoming king and Angie recalls it with a paralleled sense of honor and pride.

When it came time for college, they split like a mini kit-kat bar, brining goofy grins to those they invited into their lives. Outside of the package, their relationship continued to grow, but in a way that neither of them had anticipated. Eric identified as a gay male. This new reality set them on a uniquely comparable “coming out” journey – Eric as the gay male and Angie as the straight ally.

Self-discovery

Eric was not always attuned to his attraction for men. He had bought into the status quo by dating a couple girls in high school, never paying serious thought to his incompatibility with this role. Long before Sex Ed class defined the social laws of love, he was, admittedly, very involved with other people’s lives and “making their lives authentic.” (more…)